Vegetable slicer having a vertically reciprocating blade



y 1954 E. MORRIS 2,682,901

VEGETABLE SLICER HAVING A VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING BLADE Filed June 11,1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

ELMER MORRIS i ATTORNEYS y 1954 E. MORRIS 2,682,901

VEGETABLE SLICER HAVING A VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING BLADE Filed June 11,1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

. ull "mph.

Win

' INVENTOR. 4. j 7 ELMER MORRIS ATTORNEYS km m' Patentecl July 6, 1954VEGETABLE SLICER HAVING A VERTICALLY vRECIPROCATING BLADE Elmer Morris,Geauga Lake, Ohio Application June 11, 1952, Serial'No. 292,829

Claims.

This invention relates generally to a potato and vegetable slicer. 7

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter described, which is easy and simple to operate, and which canbe easily cleaned and wiped after use. Y

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed, which is light in weight, can be quickly clamped to a tableor other support for use, and is neat and compact in appearance, lendingitself to easy storage when not in use.- r r A further object of theinvention is to provide a device of the character described whichconsists of a minimum number of parts which can be easily and quicklyassembled, and which can be made in large quantities at relatively lowcost.

Other objects andadvantages of my invention will be apparent during thecourse of the following description. In the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification and in which like numeralsareemployed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is afront elevational view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the device,

and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, takenon the line 4-4 ofFig. l.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the device will be seen tocomprise a frame or housing formed of sheet metal having a verticalfront wall 1, sides 2 and 3, and inturned flanges 4 and 5, parallel withthe wall I.

The front wall I has a U-shaped recess 6 in its upper end, and extendingforwardly from the lower edge of this recess is a guide or trough l ofarcuate shaped cross-section, and preferably formed integrally with thesheet of metal from which the frame is formed. The potato to be slicedor cut is pushed upwardly along this guide or trough, as shown in Fig.4. The intersection of the trough 1 and wall I forms an arcuate cuttinged e 2|.

The housing is adapted to be secured, as by rivets 8, to a base member,which may be made of an aluminum casting, and which comprises a base 9,sides I0 and II, and webs l2 and I3 interconnecting the base and sidesto strengthen and rigidify the base member.

The base member is adapted tobe clamped to a table or other support l4,as by means of a c-clamp l5, as shown in Fig. 1, and in order tofacilitate use of such a clamp, the frontwall I has a recess 16 formedin its lower portion.

Secured to the rear surface of the front wall 1, is a bar I! (Fig. 4)having an edge [8 (Fig. 4)' which is just below the upper end of thetrough or guide 1.

Mounted for vertical reciprocal movement rela tively to the aforesaidhousing is a gauge plate20 having a rearwardly extending short flange 22at its upper edge. The plate 20 is secured, ,as by rivets 23 to a pairof channel members 24 and 25 which are slidable vertically in theguidesor channels formed by the marginal portions of thefront wall I,sides 2 and 3, and flanges land 5 of the frame or housing.

Secured to the webs of the channels 24 and 25, as by means of rivets-26, is a cutter blade 2! having a-knife edge 28 at its lower edge. Theknife edge 28 is spaced about /8" vertically from the flange 22 of theplate 20, as shown in Fig. 3.

Secured to and extending rearwardly from the lower portion of the blade21 is a series of transversely spaced parallel knives or cutters 29,each of triangular'shaped contour, and each provided at its lower edgewith a knife edge 30, which is coplanar with the edge 28 of the blade 21and extends at right angles to the edge 28.

Means have also been provided for imparting a reciprocal verticalmovement to the plate 20. and cutter blade 21. Such means comprises ahandle or lever 31, one end of which is pivotally secured, as by a screwbolt 32 and nut 33, to an ea? 34 which is formed integrally with andextends at right angles to the side H) of the base member. Pivotallysecured to lever 3! at a point intermediate its ends, as by a screwbolt35 and nut 36, is a link 31, the upper end of which is pivotallysecured, as by a rivet 38, to the plate 20, at a point adjacent theupper edge of the latter, and centrally thereof.

The use or operation of the device will now be briefly described.

With the parts as shown in solid lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the potato P(Fig. 4) is pushed upwardly along the trough 1 until the forward end ofthe potato abuts the gauge plate 20. The handle 3| is then moveddownwardly to the broken line position shown in Fig. 3, causing theknife edge 28 of the cutter blade 21 to slice the potato transversely asthe edge 28 passes the cutting edge 2|. At the same time, the aforesaidslice is sliced longitudinally into French fry slices by the cutters 29,the slicing being completed when the cutters 29 abut the upper surfaceof the bar 11. In the course of this slicing action, the plate 20 movesdownwardly past the edge l8 of the bar l1.

At the completion of this slicing action, the plate 20 and blade 21 areagain moved upwardly to their initial position, the potato again movedupwardly against the plate 20 and the slicing operation is repeated.This action is continued until the entire potato is sliced.

Although the device has been described particularly with reference toits use as a potato slicer, it will be readily understood that it can bejust as easily used for slicing or cutting other vegetables.

The device, as thus described, is easy and simple to operate, and can beeasily cleaned and wiped after use, particularly where the essentialparts are made of stainless steel or enameled sheet metal. It is lightin weight, can be quickly clamped to a table for use, and is neat andcompact in appearance, lending itself to easy storage when not in use.

It consists of a minimum number of parts which can be easily and quicklyassembled, and which can be made in large quantities at relatively lowcost.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown anddescribed, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may beresorted to, Without departing from the spirit of my invention, or thescope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with an upwardly inclined channel-shaped trough havingan upper terminal portion forming a cutting edge and lying in asubstantially vertical plane, a uni-planar vertically movable slicingblade in substantial contact with said edge, said blade having asubstantially straight lower cutting edge, at least one cutter attachedto said slicing blade and extending normally thereto in a direction awayfrom said trough, said cutter having a substantially straight edge inthe same plane as that of the slicing blade, and a uni-planar gaugeplate operatively connected to said slicing blade in a plane parallelthereto, away from said trough and downwardly from said cutter.

2. A combination, as defined in claim 1, wherein said gauge plate is inoperative alignment with said trough when said slicing blade is in itsuppermost position, and is depressed below said trough when said slicingblade is in its lowermost position.

3. A combinaton, as defined in claim 1, includin a housing havingflanged parallel spaced marginal portions providing channels, channelmembers slidably mounted in said channels for vertical movement therein,and means securing said slicing blade and said gauge plate to saidchannel members for movement therewith.

4. A combination, as defined in claim 3, including means operativelyconnected to said slicing blade and said gauge plate for impartingvertical reciprocal movement thereto.

5. A combination, as defined in claim 3, including a bar membersupported by said housing below said terminal portion of said trough andin the path of movement of said cutter, whereby said bars provide anabutment for the cutting ed e of said cutter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 104,218 Smith et al June 14, 1870 878,833 Smithwick Feb. 11,1908 1,516,724 Haase Nov. 25, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date53,162 Sweden Dec. 6, 1922 693,755 France Sept. 2, 1930

